Quantize / Swing with Maarten Vorwerk

Quantize / Swing

The possibility to put your rhytm just off the grid to create a swinging movement.

In most DAW’s and hardware drummachines you can find a quantization or swing functions.This swing already was used in the 1930’s in Jazz songs and is since then used in all sorts of music with of course hip hop also as a major user of the swing functions in the MPC machines.When we look at dance music it has also played a huge role in the creation of house/disco type grooves. And to my opinion techno is just one big swing pattern.You can apply it to everything. Drums, Synths, basslines etc..I prefer using it on drums, (snares particularly) or when I use a sample.Let it be a vocal loop, a disco loop, a drumbeat. I like to cut that up in 16th or 8th notes and apply some quantization on that. Just to create your own groove with that sample.From a listeners point of view it will be more pleasing to listen to and makes it more dance able. And from a mixing point of view you create a little bit more space for your shorter elements.Although if you apply to much it can cause phase too.The absolute easiest way to start using swing within your DAW is to put a note on every 16th. Quantize them straight to begin with.Then apply your groove / swing and listen to what happens. After that you start deleting notes to create your own rhytm. See video for this easy example.In drumcomputers, hardware or software you can apply it to whole groups at once.Start experimenting with it and see what you can do with it.